Our Team

CEO, Founder, Inventor, Artist

Tom is our renaissance man. Hemispheres® was born, in part, because Tom lives on a gentleman’s farm and loves working with his farm equipment. One of the clumsy side effects of working all day, in the heat, on farm equipment, or any longer-term outside activities is hyperhidrosis–excessive sweating–especially in sensitive places. Tom conceived a product that provides relief for the discomforts associated with hyperhidrosis.

Tom retired in 2016 after more than 40 years in the financial services industry. Disappointed by the Wall Street bias of looking at clients as mere economic units, he started a fee-only financial advisory business in Rockford, Illinois. As chairman of the firm, he and partners grew the company into one of the leading fee-only firms in the nation. Tom had an unusual skill: he could describe abstract financial concepts in sketches and drawings, simplifying the complex, leaving his clients educated and confident.

On retirement, Tom acquired an art studio and has been creating art in many forms, including acrylic paintings, clay work and glass sculpture. He is working on additional creative projects that have the potential to turn into other viable businesses.

Tom has been married for over 50 years to Rosemary with whom he enjoys time and travel with their children, grandchildren and siblings.He has been active in his community, church and the financial service community having earned six professional designations. Tom has been a member of many boards of directors, including the Discovery Center Museum, Rockford University (also chairman), Family Counseling Services, St. Anthony Medical Center Foundation, and Boylan High School Education Foundation. Tom was honored with the “Spirit of Caring” award by Crusader Community Health. Tom also sponsors a monthly “No Agenda Lunch,” by invitation only to varying civic, business, political and religious leaders in the community. There is no agenda other than providing a forum for networking across professional boundaries. Tom is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, and has been awarded the Order of St. Gregory by the Secretary of State of Vatican City.

President

Karl Schmitt is a proven innovator / inventor with numerous U.S. and International patents yielding over $150MM for a Fortune 500 company and others.  He has 40 years of business experience and has held product, supply chain, engineering, sales, marketing management positions and is the president of Hemispheres® for All, LLC.

Having a penchant for innovative design he received Textron’s honored “Chairman’s Award” and Textron Fastening Systems ‘Master Inventor’ award for technology transfer of an aerospace proportional valve that is now used on suspension systems to smooth rides for automobiles, trucks, and other vehicles.  

He attended Purdue University studying psychology and mechanical engineering before gaining his bachelor’s in business management at Rockford University.  He earned the ‘Excellence in Market’ certificate from the University of Wisconsin and is a certified 6 sigma greenbelt.  Karl has extensive international experience with sales and supply chain interfaces throughout the U.S., Europe, UK, Asia and Japan.  

Karl met Tom Muldowney, Hemispheres® for All founder and artist, during a keynote presentation given by Tom at the EigerLab’s Rockford, Illinois Incubator “Fast Pitch”.  Tom’s story captivated him and as a team they have been working to meet the consumer need for the Hemispheres Bum Pad™ product ever since.  Tom’s bright colored artwork brings emotion and perspective to the product development process; a perfect fit of form and function.

Karl’s non-professional interests are primarily not-for-profits.  He’s a trustee and VP of the Cherry Valley Men’s Club, the President of the Aldeen Men’s Golf Club, serves on the Cherry Valley Public Library board of trustees, oversite committee for the Cherry Valley Fire Protection Department, and IT tech team member at his church.  

MD

Arnold Rosen is a retired gastroenterologist. He grew up in western Massachusetts, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, and earned his medical degree from the Albany Medical College of Union University, in New York. After working as an internist, he completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at Georgetown University, the VA Medical Center in Washington DC, and the National Institutes of Health. He then practiced at Rockford Gastroenterology Associates, a large single-specialty group in Rockford, Illinois. He served as the group’s president for seven years and retired from the practice after twenty-seven years. He remains an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford.

Dr. Rosen was invited by his friend, former patient and financial advisor, Tom Muldowney, to join the Hemispheres For All team to provide insights regarding appropriate clinical roles for the Hemispheres product.

Arnie’s non-professional interests are largely related to music. He is the founder of Band Grandpas, a volunteer organization aimed at assisting with music instruction in public schools and is a member of the board of directors of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. He plays tuba in the Rockford Wind Ensemble.

Marketing

John Muldowney has four decades of experience in marketing and strategic planning. He founded Clarity Marketing Inc. in 1997 and specializes in providing strategic marketing and management assistance. His background includes Fortune 100 P&L (division GM) and business turn-around experience

He has developed and implemented business plans for companies that manufacture and distribute custom-designed and standardized products. 

Partner

Helps to guide the licensing activities of the group. He spent over 40 years in industrial manufacturing. The final 33 years of his career were spent in managing the intellectual property (IP) and licensing activities of one of the largest global fastening technology manufacturers. The licensing business he managed in the fastening market was the largest of its kind in the world and generated over 20% of the total corporate profit. That licensing business included licensees in 38 different countries with over 300 license contracts under his oversight. He is also a professional voiceover actor operating as Marty’s Voice Talent ( www.martysvoice.com). He does commercial as well as corporate content and recently has done Sleep Stories for a YouTube channel.

Legal Counsel and Patents